Frozen: The Prequel-- Frostbite
by FrozenFanatic23
Summary: Why does their mother have blond hair in the portrait? Where did Elsa's powers come from? Why does Hans act the way he does? (Helsa!) Also, FIRE POWERS (but not Anna!) What were the girls and their parents thinking during the isolation? How does Rapunzel tie into all of this? What happened to Kristoff's family? Everything you could want to know about the magical world of FROZEN!
1. How It All Started

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or names or anything used in the story.**

Princess Anya of Arendelle was never quite like the other children. For generations, the Arendelle monarchy had cherished its strong mythological ties. The first rulers of Arendelle dated back to a time when it was typical for rulers to claim to be gods, and Arendelle's early rulers had claimed to be direct descendants of a snow goddess, Elanna.

The winter had always been a celebrated time in Arendelle, however winter powers varied heavily by generation. Anya's great-great uncle could conjure snow from his hands. Her great-great-grandmother could shoot out ice from her feet. However, the royal family's power wasn't very strong, and was truly only useful for entertainment. Some of her ancestors described occasionally finding frost or snow in odd places, but very few had powers strong enough to demonstrate to anyone. Traditionally, hair color was a dead give away for powers. Darker hair means weaker power, while lighter hair meant stronger power. Relatives with blond hair were the only ones with noticeable powers. Powerless relatives generally had dark hair, nearly black. Anya had blond hair, and she could control snow. As a young child, she loved to play outside in winter, easily winning all snowball fights.

*Thump* 7 year old Anya felt a snowball hit her shoulder, and turned around to face her attacker. An unfamiliar boy around her age laughed mischievously, and she pretended to walk away. Swiftly, she spun around and nailed him with a snowball. A full-out snowball fight ensued for the next hour. Finally, after they were thoroughly exhausted, the children agreed to call it a truce. Anya may have had powers, but her powers required so much energy and concentration to make nice snowball she didn't bother trying to manifest snowflakes.

"What's your name anyway? I haven't seen you around here," Anya asked, her blond pigtails bouncing as she knocked the snow off of her hat. Anya had yet to figure out how to melt the snow, but she couldn't make very much snow and it always melted on its own. Anya's powers were actually amongst the strongest of her family's powers.

"It's my first time in Arendelle, cause now I'm old enough for 'portant trips and stuff. Name's Isaac, prince of Corona." The boy tried to straighten his shoulders and look mature, but his bulky winter clothing made him look like an awkward penguin.

"I'm Princess Anya of Arendelle, want to see magic?" she said, giggling. Anya could never resist an opportunity to show off her skills, although her parents discouraged her from showing it to visiting dignitaries because of some prophecy business.

"Magic? I stopped believing in that last year, when I was six!" In response, Anya conjured up a snowflake, smiling smugly. "But, but..." Isaac stammered, his bright eyes fixed on the snowflakes as they gently drifted to the ground.

"Toldya I could do magic!"

"Can you make ice too? I love ice cubes but we almost never have them in Corona."

"Don't you know anything? *Everybody* knows that nobody can control ice AND snow! There's snow, wind, and ice in the family but nobody could ever control all that. You sure aren't from around here! " Anya scoffed.

"Well, can you make more snow?"

"I can try, I guess," she said, hesitating. She held her hand out and snowflakes flew out for about 10 seconds before the stream began to die down to a trickle.

"What, did you run out of snow?" joked Isaac, and he tossed some powder at her.

"Nah, I just got tired. It's not easy, you know!" she said, giggling as she send a few final flakes onto his head. Isaac grabbed a handful of snow and pulled his hand back, only to find his dad behind him.

"I see you've made a new friend," he said, smiling knowingly. "Now come on, we have lunch with the royal family."

"The lunch! I have to change!" squealed Anya, running through the snow toward the castle with her purple scarf waving behind her. The king of Corona was puzzled for a moment, then smiled as he put two and two together.

That was the first time the future king and queen of Arendelle met. There had been talk of an arranged marriage, but when the teenagers fell in love, the monarchs in Corona and Arendelle were thrilled and any plans for an arranged marriage were scrapped. Traditionally, the Queen would live in the King's kingdom, but Anya had no siblings and such a plan would leave no heir to the throne. And so Isaac had a coronation where he was crowned King Isaac of Arendelle **(A/N This is the painting we see in FTIF while Elsa prepares for her coronation and models her father)**.

The couple was happily married, the majority of the kingdom respected them, and they lived a peaceful life.

Of course, no kingdom was without problems. Roughly a hundred years ago, the trolls had prophesied an eternal winter, and the royal family was sometimes criticized for a possible role in it. At the time, however, nobody had powers strong enough to be a serious concern.

The prophecy went as follows (from Spring Pageant):

_Your future is bleak_

_Your kingdom will splinter_

_Your land shall be cursed with unending winter_

_With blasts of cold will come dark art_

_And a ruler with a frozen heart_

_Then all will perish with snow and ice_

_Unless you are freed with a sword sacrifice_

Most of the citizens of Arendelle were faithful to their rulers and trusted them to prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled. They had no reason to believe the royal family's powers were a threat. But on July 21, the rules changed. Nobody understood exactly why. Perhaps the rules that had long been accepted were wrong, or Elsa inherited powers from several family members instead of only one, or maybe it was because Elsa was born far too early, as she wasn't due for approximately two more months. Maybe is was the prophecy, but for whatever reason anything the family thought they knew about winter powers was shattered.

The first strange thing was that Anya lost her power when she gave birth. Her power had been fading throughout her pregnancy, but they had thought it to be merely a side effect of the pregnancy. Anya's hair turned nearly black, and she was unable to control or make snow in any way. The second strange thing was just how light Elsa's hair was— her hair was nearly white, unlike the blond hair of the most powerful sorceresses in the family.

Elsa's powers set in gradually. As an infant, she had an unnatural tolerance for cold— she never got cold, no matter the weather. When she would flail her hands around she would sometimes send snowflakes across the room. This was easy enough to conceal from the public. When she was two years old, Elsa would blow small gusts of wind around, but nobody was sure it was her until later, thinking a window had simply been left open. Shortly before Elsa's third birthday, her parents were alarmed to find her leaving icy footprints when she got frustrated. This greatly worried her parents, leading to several emotional conversations.

"Ice and snow! Nobody in the family, no matter how powerful, has ever been able to control both!" Anya exclaimed.

"Maybe her powers will be weaker, just more...diverse..."

"Her hair has hardly any color at all, and we both know that the lighter the hair color always meant the stronger the powers." Anya argued.

"She might not be the prophecy, if she can control her powers she'll be fine..." Isaac mused, struggling to imagine the toddler intentionally freezing Arendelle.

"What if the baby is like her? What if the baby has even stronger powers?" Anya was a few months into her second pregnancy, and was worried sick.

"You don't have your powers anymore, darling, the baby will be fine."

"But what if?"

"Then we'll hope she has Elsa's sweetness, spunk, and strength," he amended, caressing the queen's face. This seemed to appease the queen, and they hugged.

When Anna was born with bright red hair, her parents were relieved. Anna's only magic was her kindness and happiness. And so the family rejoiced, and Arendelle continued it's peace...but as everybody learns at some point, something perfect cannot stay.

**[From here the story will be told from various journal entries, until we reach the end of the story. At that point we go into my imagined sequel. Please comment/review...more comments and reviews mean faster updates!]**


	2. Elsa Strikes Anna & Gloves

**This chapter is basically a lot of exposition, so it's a little dull, but stay with me because it picks up a little in the next chapter. Also, I merged chapters 2 and 3.**

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**POV: King of Arendelle.**

**Time: Day after the accident.**

Tonight was possibly the most heartbreaking night of my life, right up there with the death of my own parents. Last night, we heard a commotion from the ballroom. We ran to the door, only to find that the door was frozen shut. We heard a shriek and abandoned any hope of keeping the door.

"Mama! Papa!" we heard Elsa call out to us. We ran inside and saw that the room was covered in ice and snow, and Elsa cradled and unconscious Anna.

"She's ice cold!" Anya exclaimed, and I ran to the library to find a map to the trolls. We climbed onto the horses, and ice trailed behind Elsa. We've learned that stress sets off her powers more than anything else.

One of the trolls, Grand Pabbie, removed the ice from Anna's head and removed her memories of magic. The white streak in her hair did not go away, and will probably serve as a reminder of the incident for years to come. He left the happy memories the girls shared, I'm relieved to say. He did caution us, however, that he could not easily heal a strike to the heart. I told Elsa it was for the best that Anna didn't remember her powers. I'm not sure I believe myself, but Anna can be so energetic it isn't hard to imagine another accident.

What Grand Pabbie next showed us will forever remain etched into my mind. He showed images of an adult Elsa using her powers while the people cheered her on, then showed the people destroying Elsa, while he cautioned her to learn to control it, and told us fear would be her enemy.

I didn't like my options, but at the time my choice seemed sensible. We would keep the girls apart so Elsa couldn't hurt Anna, and Elsa could learn control without jeopardizing Anna's safety. Once Anna matured a bit and Elsa gained control, we would reunite them and gradually build our family back together. It wouldn't be easy, but the alternatives meant risking the lives of both girls.

Of course, I'm a dad first, but I'm still the king. It would be positively scandalous to let word of Elsa's powers get out.

My own niece was kidnapped, sweet little Rapunzel...Elsa and Rapunzel are the same age, and we had so hoped they could be friends. Her parents believe Rapunzel was kidnapped because of her powers. Elsa is old enough that she has her own ideas...but she's still impressionable, and oh so sensitive. It wouldn't be difficult for any kingdom who doesn't support Arendelle to convince Elsa to accept being a "monster" and recondition her to be a weapon. **[A/N I know, the irony...]**

Luckily, Anya says that her family's powers were so weak most believed them to be a myth and it was possible that neighboring kingdoms weren't even familiar with the legends. Elsa's always been too reserved to show off her powers in public, so nobody knows about her powers. Anna will be upset, but surely she'll see sooner or later. I just hope we're going the right way about all of this.

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**POV: Anya.**

**Time: The day after the incident**

After a long discussion with Isaac, we both agreed that he would discuss the new living arrangements with Elsa and I would talk to Anna. Our conversation was something like this:

"Mommy, where's Elsa going?"

"Why don't we sit down and talk?" I guided her over to her bed and sat her down. "You know that Elsa is going to become the queen, right?"

"I know! And I'm going to be her assistant! Elsa told me that I get to help her rule the kingdom but I don't even have to take all the boring classes!" I smiled.

"That's right, sweetie. Elsa has lots of work to do to become Queen, which is why we thought it would be best if Elsa lived in the east wing of the palace."

"But...I don't understand. Can we still play?"

"Eventually you can, but for the next few weeks Elsa is going to be very busy, going to meetings with Daddy and spending lots of time with tutors. She probably won't be able to play with you for awhile."

"We're best buddies though, does this mean we aren't anymore?"

"Oh Anna," I said, stroking the white streak in her hair, "Just remember that Elsa loves you very much and someday you can be best friends again. For now, though, Elsa has work to do."

What I told Anna about Elsa having lots of Queen-training wasn't a total lie, but truthfully Elsa will be working to get her powers under control. Anna accepted it pretty well, but she'll undoubtably question us soon. With any luck, Elsa will have control in a few weeks. As long as she can keep her emotions stable, she has perfect control.

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**POV: King of Arendelle**

**Time: Three weeks after the incident**

I've been searching for a way for Elsa to gain more control over her powers, or even a way to make her powers disappear altogether, if it comes to that. So far only two magical treatments will do the job, but the first requires a hefty sacrifice— such as one's heart, vision, voice, or life. The second, the essence of an emerald, has a high probability of causing unforeseen consequences, and can be overly literal.

I visit the trolls more frequently now. The odds aren't good, but I'm hopeful.

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**POV: Queen.**

**Time: Day after entry above**

Yesterday, Elsa touched a windowsill and ice began to cover it. While Elsa has yet to master her powers, this is the first sign of a total loss of control. She's never accidentally frozen anything before. Isaac went to the trolls, and they provided some enchanted gloves to prevent her hands from freezing anything they touch. I'm worried that she'll be unable to stop herself from freezing everything she touches.

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**POV: King.**

**Time: Same day as last entry**

I gave Elsa her gloves today. The gloves are enchanted, yes, but they can only put up with so much magic. If her power grows and she still can't control it, she'll need new gloves.

"Conceal it, don't feel it, don't let it show," I told her.

I don't like the fear in her eyes when her pen or hairbrush freezes over. I hope the gloves will restore her confidence. If she can just conceal them, put them away, she can be the same wonderful, calm, level-headed Elsa we always loved. Of course we still love her, but any sane person would choose calmness over panic. I don't want Elsa to view her powers as something to fear. I want her to trivialize her powers, to bury it in the back of her head so she can make the choice if she wants to use her powers or not. I want her to control her powers, rather than letting them control her.

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**POV: Elsa.**

**Time: Day she received the gloves**

Today Papa gave me special gloves and a journal. It's nice to write without worrying about freezing my pen or paper. I like my new gloves, they fit my hands like, well, a glove. Papa told me to conceal it, not feel it. I feel so much, but maybe if I just feel a little less my powers will subside.

Mama came and talked to me today. She told me the story of how she met Papa. I love that story because when I hear about Mama and Papa playing as kids it reminds me of playing with Anna, before the incident. "He threw a snowball at me, and we had a full on snowball fight. After the snowball fight, I showed him my magic. My magic wasn't strong like yours, for one I couldn't control ice or wind, only snow. In fact, you're the first person we know of to control all three," she said, kissing my nose gently. My skin is really cold all the time, or so people say, but Mama doesn't mind. I can't feel any temperatures. I was worried I'd freeze something, but she was so quick I didn't have time to panic.

I loved how special Mama made me feel when she said that. "In fact, when your Papa asked me if I could make him some ice, I laughed at him and told him nobody could control more than one. Little did I know a very special someone would be able to control all three." She smiled, and fixed her dark eyes on mine, "Elsa, my power was weaker and easier to control. But I always remember I could make the best snowballs and the prettiest snowflakes when I was happy and relaxed. Don't let your powers control you, just be my sweet little Elsa."

I love my mama, but I wasn't trying to be anybody else when I struck Anna with my powers, so maybe she isn't right. But I want her to be right, so I'll try to do what she said. Does that mean that I'm dangerous, and if I'm not dangerous, I'm not me?


	3. Elsa Pushes Away Her Parents

**A/N This is a much longer chapter because I tried to really elaborate on Elsa's perspective, rather than the terse "This happened then that happened" style I've been using a lot. The entire chapter is based on the 30 seconds during "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" where Elsa pushes her parents away after freezing the wall. I hope you like it! Remember, the more reviews, comments, follows, and favorites I get, the more motivated I am to update the story!**

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**POV: Queen.**

**Time: Second part of Do You Want To Build a Snowman? sequence, where Anna is 9 and Elsa is 12.**

Today was...stressful. This morning, Anna fell off her bike and we noticed she's been talking to paintings. Sometimes Isaac and I wonder if we should have had a third child to keep Anna company, but my desire for more children was gone when Elsa first made ice. I just can't take the risk that another child would have Elsa's problems. But I suppose it doesn't matter now, by the time the child would be able to play with Anna, Elsa should be able to control her powers.

In one sense, it seems selfish to have a child you don't want for the sake of keeping your other child company. I just can't help but think that Anna would be so much better off. It's not as if I wouldn't love my third child, powers or not.

We've thought about adoption, but the procedures for adopting a child are so stringent for a royal family. The inheritance is so complicated. Unless we adopted an orphaned royal child, of course, but that's a fairly unusual situation. Even so, it would be complex beyond belief. Perhaps if the right opportunity arrises, we'll look into it.

That's not the only thing. We initially planned on separating the girls for a few weeks, maybe as long as a year. But here we are four years later. Every single time we think we've gotten Elsa's powers in check, her powers become stronger and she loses control all over again.

Today she froze nearly an entire wall and door. "Getting upset only makes it worse," Isaac said calmly, and reached over to give her a hug. Elsa jumped away. "No! Don't touch me!" If this wasn't enough reason to burst into tears, when she added "Please...I don't want to hurt you," I was nearly bawling.

What's happened to our darling little girl? We know that things started spiraling downward when we separated the girls, but how are we to reunite them at this point? The only option at this point is to keep a large stock of heaters, firewood, and ice scrapers and tough out her teen years. She can't take the throne before 21, and that's only if we're dead, and we don't plan on dying any time soon. By then, surely her powers will stop growing and she'll be in control.

Until then, we'll just try to make things easier for them. We can't control Elsa's fear. We can console her all we want, but she's the only person who can overcome her anxieties. And then there's Anna. The poor girl is always bored to tears. There are worse things to cause tears, I remind myself.

We've though about reintroducing the girls to quell Elsa's growing fear, but it would be so risky it's a last resort only. For one, if we tell Anna about Elsa's powers, Anna will never leave Elsa alone. Shouting encouraging things through Elsa's door might be a good thing, but Anna already does that. Anna still isn't mature enough to be trusted with Elsa before Elsa has control. For another, Anna could cause Elsa to completely lose control. Elsa's powers are very strong, and the damage Elsa could do is a force to be reckoned with. If Elsa hurts anybody again, her fear will put her beyond reach. She's teetering on the edge as it is. Elsa is so afraid she'll hurt somebody that she loses control in her panic. The King and I are completely clueless, at this point we can't do much other than let the storm pass.

**POV: Elsa**

**Date: Same as previous.**

_I told my tutor I have a journal and he said I should try writing in present tense more often. I write in past tense a lot of the time on my papers. I guess it's comforting for me because the past was such a nice time, back before I started to become a monster._

I can't control my powers. For the longest time, I thought that if I just kept my emotions in check I would be OK. As long as I was the perfect daughter my parents wanted me to be, I would be OK. I thought I could just keep it inside of me, despite my inner storm bursting out.

Of course, it was Anna that set me off this time. This is why I can't be with Anna, it's just too dangerous and risky.

I was reading in my room, then, losing interest, closed the book audibly. The book was gigantic, and while I understand why learning every detail of Arendelle's history is important for a future queen, I don't find all of it particularly interesting. I've read 300 pages today so I guess I've done enough.

One of the perks of living in a castle is the size. My room is huge. I walk to the other end of my room and slip one shoe off, holding it in my hand. I take the sock off, too...then, slowly, I lower my left foot to the ground. When my toes touch the ground, I gather my concentration. The ice spreads over the floor, then stops just before reaching my furniture. A near perfect circle of ice, with my signature snowflake emblazoned on it, surrounds me.

I put my sock back on my left foot, and take my shoe off my right foot. I slip off my left glove and delicately twist my wrist. A perfect pair of simple ice skates, more like sandals, really (the cold of the ice may not bother me, but ice isn't as comfortable as my soft cotton socks), manifests itself in front of me.

I slip my skates on and gently push myself off. I start off simple, just gliding around my own personal frozen pond. Slowly, I pick up a bit more speed. I don't go too fast, because falling on ice isn't pleasant. I skid to a stop in the center and send a small gust of wind to carry the ice shavings away. Gently, I send tiny ice crystals to fill in the places where the skates had chopped up my ice- explaining how I ended up with a big scratch on my floor is not a conversation I ever intend on having.

My former perfection restored, I resume the circuit around the snowflake. _One, two, three, jump. One, two, three, jump and spin! _I pull my arms close to my chest and shift my weight so I twirl through the air. Effortlessly, I land back onto the ground without losing momentum. My feet are one with my skates and my skates mesh perfectly with my ice. I extend my leg out behind me and glide across the ice.

When I reach the end, I stop and face the other end of my ice. I take a few quick steps, then I catapult myself into the air. I spin once, twice, three times. I try to make a fourth rotation but then realize my flight is over. I'm in the wrong position to land. In a split second, I shoot a thick layer of snow out and I fall gently onto it. I brush myself off, I'm not hurt. I get up, dissolve the snow, and try again. This time I only spin three times before landing, perfectly this time.

I gently perform a few more circuits, then I dissolve the ice and anything that remains, assisted with a quick blast of wind. I slip my skates off and put my shoes back on. I pick up one of my skates and admire it for a moment. Sometimes my ice is immune to the temperature, like me, and won't melt in the heat. Other times, the ice would melt, albeit much slower than real ice. I'm not sure how to tell which type of ice I've made; I'm tempted to keep the skates stowed away under my bed but I'm afraid they'll melt. I run my hands over the smooth surface and sigh. I dissolve my skates, and watch my beautiful ice fade away.

My ice skating has become routine. In the beginning, I had trouble getting my ice to be perfectly circular, and had to accept an oval rink, which made the snowflake design much less impressive. I'm always careful that nobody knows about this, though. My parents have never explicitly told me they don't want me to use my powers like this, but I'm sure they think that, since last time they know I did, Anna almost died. I'm careful to time it so that it isn't near my meals or lessons so I can count on not being interrupted. Generally, just between my afternoon lessons and dinner is when I skate. But last night I couldn't sleep, so I got up at 4 A.M. and started reading to distract myself. After breakfast, I asked Kai to tell Papa that I did not want be interrupted unless necessary so I could read about the history of Arendelle.

Of course, I'd already finished the reading, so that's how I ended up skating early in the morning. Anna loves her sleep, and getting up early and staying up late really aren't her thing, so she usually bugs me in the afternoon. But I guess I wasn't the only person who decided to mix up the schedule.

_"Do you want to build a snowman?"_ I heard her call out. When I didn't answer, I could hear her leaving, then a moment later I could hear her voice again. Her voice was softer now, so she must not have been right at my door. _"Or ride our bike around the hall..." _A loud crash followed. Our bike was designed for two people, a remnant of the time we were close. The frustration struck me as hard as a sledgehammer to the head.

It's my fault that poor Anna is bored out of her mind. My fault that she fell off her bike. If only I could just go outside and laugh and play with her. If only I could get on the bike with her so that she wouldn't fall, but I know that I can't. It's too risky. I want to be out there with her so badly, to keep her safe and prevent her from being lonely. But I can't keep her safe. A tear slips onto my cheek, then freezes.

I flick it away. Ordinarily, the only time I remove my gloves is when absolutely necessary, like to wash my hands. But I had removed my left glove while I was skating, and had neglected to place it back on. The small motion sets off a chain reaction, and I can feel my anger in my head and my stomach traveling through me. I imagine this is how fire feels. The power surges through me until it reaches my hands, and I try to hold it back. I can feel my fingertips tingling and I try to be stronger than my power, to control it. I pull my head back, pull my hand towards myself. I can feel the power built up in my left hand, and I cradle my left hand with my right hand.

I slowly walk to the other end of my room and grab my glove. Afraid of freezing my desk, I gently hold my left hand behind me while extending my right hand. I grab the glove, but I'm shaking so much I drop the glove. Without thinking, my right hand shoots out to grab the glove. I only lost my concentration for a second, but a mere second is the straw that breaks the camel's back. The pent up energy in my left hand shoots out, pushing me backwards. My hip slams into the corner of my desk and I wince as I crumble to the ground. I grab my glove and shove it onto my hand. I turn around and gasp. A thick layer of ice coats my door and my wall. **[A/N In the movie it's actually more like a thin layer of frost covering part of the door and her wall, but I imagine Elsa overreacts and this causes her to perceive it as much more damage than it actually was]**

I look at my gloves. My gloves are white and flawless. My gloves conceal my powers. I tried to have fun, to control it, but to reach perfection I must conceal it. If I am to be as perfect as the gloves, I must hide any flaws. I must not let them see.


	4. The Childhood of Hans

**So I thought I'd take a little break from Arendelle and take a visit to the Southern Isles...Here's my personal take on Hans, and yes, he does have fire powers! I know that it's pretty corny but bear with me, it will be important when I get to the sequel! I have his backstory part, which is basically exposition, then I'll go into a more typical story format.**

**Sorry this chapter took forever, I'll try to get the next chapter out faster! **

**This chapter wouldn't have been possible without the amazing JustAnotherGirlInTheWorld, who Beta-read the chapter and helped make it totally amazing! I can't possible thank her enough for helping, so go check out her fanfics!**

**This goes with my parody song, "Do You Wanna Make Some S'mores?"**

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_Backstory:_

For several years, the Southern Isles was home to a powerful King, a beautiful Queen, and 12 rowdy princes they were proud to call their sons. It wasn't very typical for a royal family to have 12 children, but in the Southern Isles only men could inherit the throne. The King and Queen did not plan on having so many children, but when it became apparent that the King and Queen had only boys, they decided to have a few more. Then a few more. Eventually, they got up to 12 boys. Finally, the 13th boy in a row was born. That was when they were forced to stop, because when one door opens, another door closes. **[A/N, props to anybody who caught the doors reference...and if you didn't, it's right here in bold!]**

The number 13 has long been associated with bad luck, and this proved true for the Queen. The beloved Queen died in labor, and though it was no fault of his own, the boy faced a lot of resentment for this. The King understood that the Queen's death was not the child's fault, but he kept all association with the boy at a business-like level, and was mostly apathetic to him, not supplying any of the fatherly love the child so craved. His brothers, however, were not so concerned with the logic of his role in her death.

While Hans wasn't close to any of his brothers, the older brothers were generally crueler than the younger ones, and went out of their way to cause him misfortune. The vast, unexplored forests **[A/N I have no idea if there could actually be a vast forest in like, an isle, but it's magic so yeah]** of the Southern Isles contained many magical things, from bubbling potions and shining stones, to mysterious curses and gifts. His siblings decided to experiment a little on Hans, and found a strange, glowing stone that they thought would do nicely for the little boy...

The three oldest brothers, Henry, Harrison, and Hamilton, respectively, ground the stone up into a powder. **[A/N: I know, my names are so creative, hold the applause]** It wasn't difficult for them to prevent being caught, as the nannies were mostly busy with the younger ones and were rarely diligent enough to questions the boys.

The boys, filled with misplaced anger, mixed the powder in with some milk and filled one of the countless bottles in the palace nursery. Suddenly, just as they were about finished, a sound broke out from behind them.

"Boys, what are you doing?"

They turned around in unison to find one of the nannies standing there, her eyebrows raised in suspicion.

"We were just preparing a bottle for Hans, right?" offered one of the boys, his face morphed into an expression of false innocence.

"Yeah, a bottle for Hans!" the other two chorused.

"Oh, well he's just woken up from his nap, so I suppose it's perfect timing," the nanny replied with a quick smile, her expression softening. The boys, now accompanied by the nanny, carried the bottle to baby Hans, their eyes glinting with vengence.

"Here you go, baby Hans," cooed Henry, grinning mischievously at the prospect of Hans transforming into an ugly troll, or maybe even an ogre. Of course, the nanny saw his smile as brotherly love, and was completely oblivious to the malice behind it. Hans began his infamous drink, and just as he had swallowed that last drop, Henry suddenly felt the baby heating up in his hands. Shrieking in surprise and pain, he thrust the baby at the nanny.

"He's burning up with fever!" the nanny exclaimed in fear, "Quickly, get a doctor!". In shock, Harrison ran off, with Hamilton trailing close behind him. It crossed their minds to take their own sweet time getting there, but they weren't willing to be grounded in exchange for a chance to mess with Hans. This had gotten way out of hand...

Despite the burning fever, the palace doctor was baffled by the child's apparent health, unable to understand its mysterious cause. However, nobody in the palace was overly concerned with his well-being, so they simply let it be. **[A/N, do I hear a "Let It Be" in the future? Because, clearly, anything with the word "Let" or "Go" is a Frozen reference...]**

As was inevitable, it soon became clear that Hans had fire powers, the origin of which was known to only three people, and his jealous siblings only shut him out even more.

"Why does HE get fire powers!? That's like, awesome!" cried Hamilton one day, an angry pout on his lips.

"Who knows? But we can't find anymore of the rocks, and we wasted that whole stone on him!" exclaimed Henry.

"And after he killed Mom, too! He doesn't even deserve them!" growled Harrison.

"I'm not talking to him ever again!" Henry announced.

"Me too!" chorused Harrison and Hamilton.

* * *

**Hans: Age 10**

"Hans?"

"Yes, Father?" Hans looked up and saw the large, formidable man peering down at him, his face emotionless.

"Because it is your tenth birthday, as you know, it is customary for you to receive your area of specialization and assignment."

"Yes, sir, I know." The three oldest brothers trained to be kings, the six below them trained to be military commanders, and his 3 other siblings had been assigned a different task each year, like fencing or archery.

"For this year, you will work in the stables. You will tend to the horses and learn how to ready them and train them. Ms. Malhem will be responsible for training you. You are to do as she says without question, understand? And it should go without saying that you are not to use your powers."

"Yes, sir!" Hans said, nodding eagerly.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Report to the stables immediately," he admonished, frowning at Hans. As he ran to the stable, Hans was upset. His father must have thought he was a worthless, unintelligent little boy. But he'd show him wrong, because a royal child had to be worth more than a stable boy, right?

Ms. Malhem was an old, graying woman who was kind, but rather clueless, and she was quite possible blind and deaf.

"Oh, is that you, Harris?" she began as he had tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"It's Hans," he corrected.

"Oh, of course, Hands! All 13 of you boys have the same red hair, and with so many of you running around it's impossible to keep track. I don't know how your father does it!"

Hans ignored the statement. "What would you like me to do first?"

"Why don't I introduce you to our fine horses? None of the other boys appreciate their fine steeds nearly enough...Lucky Hands, you get to meet all of them! Oh, and in the spring you can help with the colts..." she rambled for a moment more, with Hans trailing behind her. Lucky Hands, he thought. Too bad his name was Hans and he did not consider himself lucky, not one bit.

Ms. Malhem stopped outside the row of stalls and gestured to the horses. "The horses in Barn One are the riding horses for the royal family. We have 19 in total, each of your brothers has received their own horse and the others are for the King and any friends of the royal family. As they passed through the horses, with Ms. Malhem naming them as they went, he noticed how clean the coats were. The vibrant chestnuts, blacks, and grays seemed to glow with so much energy that the stable boys must have spent hours on the horses, working away while the people in the palace slept. Hans, suddenly, found himself far more appreciative of the castle servants than he had ever felt before.

When they reached the end of the barn after what felt like a mile's trip, he saw that stall 120 (1st barn, 20th stall, as Ms. Malhem explained) was empty. Smiling (and exposing missing teeth), Ms. Malhem announced that at the end of the year, Hans would be given a horse of his own, which would occupy the stall. Hans smiled, eager at the prospect of fitting in with his other brothers.

Barn Two was the stallion barn, which Ms. Malhem warned him not to enter until she gave him permission to do so. "The stallions are temperamental, boy, they'll kick or bite you if the wind blows the wrong way."

Barn Three housed the mares. Ms. Malhem told him that in 9 months time the mares would give birth to foals. "Spring's the season for the wee colts and fillies, and let me tell you, there's no sight quite like watching them run around on those long legs..."

"Where do the foals go once they're grown?" he asked curiously, noticing the lack of young horses.

"The finest of them will go to Barn Four, but most will be sold or sent to the military. If the castle might have a use for them, they'll stay here, but even then most of them end up being sent away," she explained. Then, noticing his crestfallen expression, she added, "Don't look so down, boy, there are plenty of townsfolk in need of horses, there's no such thing as an unwanted horse. Even the nasty stallions are worth a good deal of money. Rest assured, just because the palace doesn't want or need the horse doesn't make it worthless."

Hans wondered if the same thing might apply to him- just because he wasn't wanted here, did that mean he wasn't wanted anywhere? Grinning wildly at the idea, he began whistling contentedly, his eyes glinting with hope. Not grasping the significance, Ms. Malhem smiled. "Atta boy, you'll figure out how we run this stable in no time. Now, have you ever groomed a horse?"

* * *

As the months went by, Hans came to appreciate the stable work. Despite the physically demanding nature of the work, it was rather fulfilling. The other stable boys were even beginning to warm up to him, although they were initially suspicious, and soon he even grew to consider some of them his only friends. His brothers teased him about getting such a menial job, but he assured himself they didn't know what they were missing.

Hans still had moments of loneliness when he would beseech his siblings for any attention at all, but most of his time and energy was occupied with the stable chores, and the horses kept him company as well as any human being could.

"Hey, stableboy, why don't you sweep this up?" called Horton (the 8th oldest brother), gesturing to the muddy footprints he'd left behind.

"Of course, Horton," Hans replied, as a smile crossed his face. With a quick flick of his hand, the mud was burned into nothing more than a small pile of ashes, which he blew away.

"Hey!" screamed Horton, bewildered at the sight of magic, "I'm telling Dad!"

"Then I'll tell Father you purposely tracked mud all over the palace," replied Hans evenly.

"That's not fair!"

"Oh, but I think it is," Hans smirked, full of pride as he cooly strutted away.

"You aren't getting away with this!"

"Oh, I already have."

* * *

While Hans came to love all of the horses, he felt especially close to the mares. The palace horses, while friendly, always carried a negative association with his older brothers for Hans. Ms. Malhem had let him see the stallions, but he wasn't allowed to touch them yet. Last week one of the stable boys had to be sent home to rest after one of the stallions kicked him, fracturing his leg. Hans decided that he could hold off from interacting with the ornery stallions for now.

But the mares, their sides bulging, would nicker softly whenever he came to visit. They would moan in pleasure as he rubbed their aching bellies, leaning against him gently.

He even came to appreciate Ms. Malhem, despite her habit of calling him Hands. Still, she seemed to genuinely care about him and the horses, and he enjoyed his time spent with her. She could have been his replacement mother, had she not been so old.

One cold winter morning- or at least, it was cold according to everybody else, as his fire powers prevented him from feeling the chill- his father approached him. "Hans," he said, nodding curtly.

"Yes, Father?"

"Ms. Malhem is ill, so for the next 24 hours you are to run the stable. Her replacement will arrive shortly. You are still not to interact with the stallions, and I will drop by to personally notify the stable boys that they are to take orders from you. Fetch one of the nannies if there's an emergency. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir!" chimed Hans immediately, his heart beating like a humming bird in his chest.

"Good. Ms. Malhem says you do good work. If all goes well, you'll keep working at the stable next year," he said, his expression softening.

"Th-th-thanks! I promise I won't let you down!" Hans stuttered, his eyes wide in giddiness. A compliment? Did...did his father actually approve of him? Or maybe even love him? As the barn came into sight, he smiled- he wouldn't mess this up! He was sure of it!

After a long day of tending to the horses, Hans was just finishing up and performing the nightly check Ms. Malhem always did when he heard a shrill whinny coming from somewhere behind him.

He looked around in confusion, and realized suddenly that the sound was coming from the other end of the mare's barn. In slight panic, he bolted to the other side (despite Ms. Malhem's strict rule against running) and saw Honey, a gorgeous buckskin Fjord horse, laying on the ground and writhing her legs in pain. She groaned loudly and Hans could tell her breathing was ragged and labored. It was the end of February, and the foals weren't due until March or April. Could she be having her foal early? If so, that couldn't be good.

Hans ran inside and, as his father had asked, talked hurriedly to a nanny, who told him to go into town and get the veterinarian. Moving quickly, he saddled one of the guest horses from Barn One, selecting a fast, but flighty, gelding that the stable boys had named Lightning.

He mounted the horse and gave him a nudge with his leg, sending the animal into a swift canter.

"C'mon boy, your name's Lightning for a reason!" he yelled to egg him on, squeezing his legs tightly to Lighting's slick sides. Luckily for Hans, it wasn't snowing, but there was enough powder on the ground to slow them down considerably. The snow got up to two feet, and Lightning was fighting the fluffy particles with every step he took. Hesitantly, he slowed Lightning to a walk.

"Hold up for a second, buddy," Hans said, stroking his silky neck. Hans carefully dismounted and touched his feet to the snow, which melted at his touch. Squeezing his eyes shut in concentration, he send a wave of hot, hazy heat to melt the powder, leaving a grassy path behind. More confident in his abilities, he mounted the horse and rode one handed, using the other hand to melt the snow and clear the path ahead.

The palace wasn't far from the town, only a 40 minute journey, but 15 minutes into it Lightning spooked for what appeared to be no reason at all. Making a mad dash for the left, Lightning darted into the forest, huffing madly.

"Whoa boy!" cried Hans, yanking the reins to the right and nearly starting a forest fire. Lightning pulled up and Hans lurched forward, but regained his balance just in time.

"Whoa boy, shush now, calm down..." Hans tried desperately to calm the horse, and his smooth voice managed to settle him enough to continue.

When they reached the town vet, Hans was relieved to see that the vet seemed mostly unconcerned.

"The foal shouldn't have been born this early, but there's no reason the mare shouldn't be fine," he said comfortingly. "I'll need some time to get my horse and supplies ready, so you ought to get going and I'll meet you at the palace."

"Sir, I can help you ready the horse-"

"No need, son. You tend to the mare until I get there, she needs you more than I do," he stated, his voice gentle, but firm. Hans nodded and mounted Lightning as swiftly as he could, urging the horse into a gallop.

It was snowing now, the icy particles flicking through the air, and Hans decided it would be best if he didn't melt the snow, because not only was his vision impaired, the veterinarian might become suspicious. His ability was strictly a family matter, as his father put it.

"Hey, where have you been?" called Thomas, one of the older stable boys, his face lined with worry as Hans neared the stable.

"I was out to get the vet, he's on his way," Hans replied, slowing Lightning to a walk. "How is she?"

"Not good. During this storm the wall of Barn Three got all torn up, after the wind blew a ton of equipment into the side of the barn. Now the snow's blown into her stall. It can't be good for her to have her foal in such cold, but we couldn't get her moved into any of the other barns."

Glancing at the snow that coated Lightning's long legs, Thomas called out to John, another stable boy, "Hey John! Untack, brush, and get a blanket on Lightning here!" John nodded and took Lightning, leading him into his barn.

"What about the other horses?"

"We moved the affected ones into Barn Four."

"So, it's just Honey we have to worry about?"

"Yep, I've got three stable boys monitoring her around the clock. I don't have a clue what they think they could do to help, but the boys said they felt it was best they monitor her," he said, shrugging. At 15, he was the oldest stable boy around, most of the other boys barely scrapping the age of 12. "It keeps them out of my hair, so who am I to complain?" he said with a smile. It was no secret that the younger stable boys, Hans included, idolized Thomas. How could they not? That boy knew his horses.

While the stable boys were not required to work during the night unless it was an emergency, many of them were similar to Hans in the way that they enjoyed spending time with the horses. A small cabin housed the full-time stable boys, while the other half went home during their free time, when they weren't working. Usually the full-time boys, like Thomas and John, didn't have much of a family to think about. Some were orphans, but others, like Hans, simply lacked a loving home. Being the young boys that they were, the boys would sometimes fight, but for the most part they were brothers and best friends. To Hans, it felt as if he'd finally found a family.

"Thanks John!" Hans shouted as he headed for Barn Three, where he saw three stable boys huddled together, just outside Honey's stall. Six anxious eyes watched the mare. Honey was a stable favorite, and any attempts to get the stable boys to leave her side would be futile. Thomas kneeled down next to her and rubbed the mare's side gently as she panted, listening to her breathing becoming more and more labored.

"I reckon this is Honey's fourth foal, she must be a pro by now," Thomas speculated as he stroked her mane, trying to comfort the boys.

"Who's the father of this one?" asked Jack, who was the youngest at age 9.

"Lightning's half brother, Thunder," he replied confidently. **[A/N: OK, so I see that my horse names are also not very creative...the younger stable boys named them, alright?]**

Suddenly, from way behind them, all the boys heard the deep, confident rumble of a grown man's voice.

"I see you boys have been keeping her company."

"Dr. Wilson!" whispered James in relief.

"Where's your horse?" inquired Thomas. Thomas, being the introvert that he was, preferred the company of horses to people, **[Horses are better than people...]** and was uneasy around adults.

"I tied her up outside Barn Four-"

"James and Jack, I want you to tend to his horse,"

"But, Honey-" cried Jack.

"The faster you take care of his horse, the faster you can come back and see Honey," Thomas reasoned, "But no slacking off, am I clear?"

"OK!" they shouted as they ran off.

Clearly and carefully, Thomas explained the situation to the vet, and Dr. Wilson began to seem worried. "She's already gone into labor, so what we need to do now is keep her and then the foal as warm as possible." Thomas nodded, his eyes filled with determination, and took charge.

"Cade, you get the blankets while Hans can get some hot water bottles," ordered Thomas. His natural leadership that endeared him to the boys also happened to make him the go-to person in any crisis.

Hans grabbed the hot water bottles and, with as much speed as he could muster, filled them with water. His eyes drifted to the empty fireplace...by the looks of it, it would take at least 15 minutes to get the fire started and heat up the water... he couldn't wait that long! Glancing around furtively, he heated up the water bottles with the fire his hands. To evade suspicion, he lit a few embers in the fireplace so it looked recently used, but not enough to start a fire in the palace.

He met Cade back at the barn a few minutes later, where he saw that Jack and James had returned. Dr. Wilson knelt next to the breathless mare and a long-legged, shaky foal, whose tiny, disheveled, white mane shook as he struggled to stand.

"It's a boy," said Dr. Wilson with a smile, and Han's heart throbbed with admiration.

"Thomas," contented Dr. Wilson, "I'm going to lead the mare inside. Help the foal along if he doesn't follow."

Thomas nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration, and did not hesitate to begin his job. When Honey stood up, the foal bravely attempted to follow, but to no avail. No sooner had the poor newborn steadied himself that his stilt-like legs buckled below him, and he collapsed into a heap in the snow, shivering despite the blanket. Hans saw that the other boys, despite trying desperately to hide it, appeared to be freezing as well.

Dr. Wilson paused and frowned. "Do you boys have a sled?" The boys nodded curiously, yet determined.

"Go get it. We'll put the foal on the sled and pull him to Barn Four," he directed, and no one hesitated to oblige. **[A/N: I really don't know if this is a plausible situation or reaction to the situation, but remember that this took place long before today]**

Jack and Cade returned a moment later with the sled, and Dr. Wilson and Thomas heaved the foal onto it as gently as possible. A few minutes later, the colt was nestled into the hay, shivering.

Dr. Wilson told them all that the foal was weak already from being born early, and that he could get sick if he didn't get warm, but there was really nothing else that they could do. With some prodding from Thomas, the other boys were persuaded to get at least an hour of sleep, although Thomas was counting on them being too tired to wake up until daybreak. Hans, however, didn't follow. Instead, he silently retrieved a cot from one of the equipment rooms and lay there quietly, staring at the ceiling with his expression blank, unable to fall asleep.

When Hans heard Thomas leave to see to the boys, and Dr. Wilson leave to get some sleep, he swiftly slipped outside and walked as quietly as possible on his tiptoes. He snuck into the stall and saw, with wide eyes, the colt nestled next to his mother, still shivering like the frozen newborn it was. A gust of wind rustled the hay and caused the colt to pull his legs even more tightly to his sides, and Hans felt a well of pity begin to build up inside of him. Slowly, Hans approached the colt, unsure how newborn colts usually reacted to visitors. Fortunately, the colt didn't seem to care or even notice that Hans was there, and he cautiously put his hand over the foal's rib cage. He visualized ice melting in the palm of his hand, and suddenly he felt heat shoot through his arm, beginning to radiate from the skin of his palms. The foal seemed confused for a moment, but then caught on that the heat was coming form Hans and leaned into him, his body absorbing the warmth it so craved.

Hans, knowing his immense power, feared he would burn the horse, so he slowly cooled down his hands and got up to leave. The foal scrambled to his feet to follow him, his large eyes blinking up at Hans like a bright-minded child. Hans laughed at this.

"Hey buddy, you have to stay here!" He said, his smile as warm as his heart.

The colt, much to the boy's surprise, swiftly kicked Hans in the knee. Not hard enough to break any bones, of course, but enough to leave a nasty bruise.

"Hey!" Hans protested, eyes wide and surprised.

The colt looked at Hans as if to say 'I'm the one in charge here, so you better listen,' and Hans felt himself laugh out loud. Slowly, throwing one last glance behind him, the boy slipped outside the stall and latched the door shut, still chuckling mildly to himself. He could already tell that they were going to be friends.


	5. Pen Pals (Hans and Elsa)

**Author Note: One word: HELSA! I tried to make it really consistent with the characters though, and I still don't totally ship Helsa...but in this fanfic, it's Helsa.**

* * *

**Hans: Age 11**

On the morning Hans turned 11, his father approached him at breakfast.

"Hans, please report to Ms. Malhem as soon as possible. She will show you to your horse," he said, cracking a smile.

"Yes, sir!" Hans replied, his big, green eyes wide with excitement. He gulped down his breakfast and ran down to the stable. He sought out Ms. Malhem, who didn't even scold him for running, a behavior she considered "unbefitting of a gentleman".

"Now Hans, it's always been my job to select horses for the royal family. Your father suggested one of the retiring broodmares. He also informed me that you are not to be given any of the spring foals, because those may be of value elsewhere." Hans frowned, knowing that he had once again fallen out of favor with his father. Hans and Honey's colt, who had yet to be named, had become very close. The colt could be ornery, sure, but Hans loved him, and he was sure that the feeling was mutual. "Now, don't look so down, Hands. You don't want one of the spring colts, anyway," she said, apparently oblivious to the bond between Hans and the colt.

"Your horse is in stall 120, why don't you go see for yourself?" she said, smiling. Hans walked to the barn, barely containing his excitement. When he finally reached the stall, he saw Honey's colt inside.

"But...father said..."

"He said the spring foals, and I reckon this guy was born in winter, don't you?" Ms. Malhem replied, winking at Hans. "Now, what are you going to name him?"

"Sitron," Hans replied immediately. "Sour, but can be sweet, just like him," Hans said, stroking Sitron's velvety nose. "Do you think Father will be upset?"

"The King does not know horses, and he hardly ever comes to the barn. As soon as Sitron loses the stilts, he'll be none the wiser...but you didn't hear it from me!' she said, winking again.

Hans looked into Sitron's dark eyes and whispered into his large, floppy ear. "You and I, we're always going to be here for each other," he said, gently hugging Sitron's neck.

* * *

**Hans: Age 13**

After months working with the trainer, Sitron was finally ready for his first ride with Hans. Sitron flicked his tail back and forth impatiently, sensing the excitement. Hans was excited as well, and his eyes darted between Sitron and the saddle. Hans trusted Sitron, but he knew that young horses like Sitron could be unpredictable. Hans tacked up Sitron, but he was doing more than just going through the motion. The whole time, he talked to the gorgeous buckskin and reassured the horse that everything would be fine. An unneeded precaution, perhaps, but Hans liked to be prepared for anything.

Ms. Malhem had instructed him to ride Sitron up a hill at full gallop if he felt like Sitron had too much energy so as to tire him out. Hans led the horse over to a tree stump so he could mount the horse, something necessitated by Hans's height. Hans slowly put his weight onto Sitron's glossy back, but Sitron remained calm and stood still even when Hans was seated on his back. Hans gently squeezed his legs to Sitron's side and Sitron began to trot. Hans removed the pressure and gently pulled the reins, bringing Sitron to a walk. Sitron walked, as Hans had asked him to, but Hans could feel a restlessness in him. Hans looked up to the hill and turned Sitron in the direction of it. Hans clucked Sitron into a trot; then moved his right leg further back and squeezed, asking for a canter. Sitron broke into a smooth, loping motion, and Hans stood up in the saddle, clasping Sitron's mane in his hands.

Hans dug his heels into the horse's sleek side, and Sitron accelerated until he was galloping as fast as he could. As they neared the top, Sitron began to lose speed. Hans gently slowed Sitron to a walk and turned, slowly descending the hill. When they reached the bottom, the duo finished off the ride with a swift canter to the barn. He untacked and groomed Sitron, removing the burs from his coat and making him as shiny as he had been before the ride.

Pleased that their first ride together had gone so well, Hans whistled cheerfully as he walked back to the castle. He now spent his time split between stable work and the more formal education he received at the palace. Instead of his tutor, Hans found his father waiting in the palace library, a newly opened envelope in his hand.

"Hans," his father said, nodding formally. "The Kingdom of Arendelle has reached out to us. What I am about to tell you is not to be shared with anybody else, the entire family included, under any circumstances. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Father. I promise to never speak of it," Hans replied, matching his father's formality. He wondered what secret could be so great that nobody else in the family could know, and why his father trusted him with it. His older siblings usually handled foreign affairs with kingdoms like Arendelle.

"Princess Elsa of Arendelle was born with great power, like yourself. Unlike you, her domain is winter. She lacks control, and knowing the magical things that lie in our forests, the kingdom asked us for advice. I think it would be fitting for you to converse with the girl, and assist her in gaining control. You may tell her all that you wish about your own powers." **[A/N, everybody except Hans's three oldest brothers believe he was born with them]**

"But Father, couldn't it endanger the kingdom to tell another kingdom of my powers?"

"Not as dangerous as a Queen with uncontrolled power...it's a bit of a risky investment, which is why you are to take this very seriously," the King said, his natural authority making his words ring in Hans's ears with great power.

"I promise to take it very seriously, father. Will you read the letters before they are sent?" Hans inquired.

"No, I have more important things to do," the King said, frowning impatiently and glancing at the clock.

"My apologies, Sir," Hans stammered.

"Very well. Write a letter to her, and put 'Elsa' on the front of the envelope. We'll see to it that it gets there as soon as possible, luckily it's only a short distance to Arendelle," and with that, his father handed him a quill and strode out of the room.

Hans ran his fingers over the quill, still astonished at all he had learned. Another girl, a girl like him? A friend, a human friend! He smiled and began to write:

_Princess Elsa of Arendelle, _

_I was born with the power to control fire and heat. It comes in handy in the winter months, or when I'm trying to ride through snow. My father has told me you control winter, but what, exactly, do you control? Only snow, or more? To control my powers, I visualize an ice cube melting in the palm of my hand. Powers or not, an ice cube will melt in my hand, and a simple ice cube makes it seem natural and easy. _  
_When I want not just heat, but fire, I summon my angry thoughts. When I want to put out the fire, I try to think of happy thoughts. That must sound really corny, but it works for me. When I think of the horses, I can't help the happiness I feel. When I want to feel angry, usually just thinking of my brothers will do the trick _

Hans stopped. Would his brothers ever see the letter? His father was oblivious to the pranks and mischief between the boys, but after some contemplation he decided that something as serious as a future queen would remain classified.

_...Well, I guess that's everything important about me. What about you, princess? How old are you? (I'm 13). Do you have any brothers? Or friends? _

_Sincerely, _

_Prince Hans of the Southern Isles_

* * *

**Elsa: Age 15 **

Elsa heard knocking on her door, and sighed, knowing it was Anna again. She came less frequently now, but Elsa still didn't have enough control to be around Anna. "Go away, Anna." Elsa said, and the door cracked open. "Anna, I said- Papa! Sorry, I thought it was Anna!" Elsa began to babble.

"I understand," the King said with a smile, holding up his hands to calm her. "I have a letter for you, from one of the Southern Isles princes. We reached out to them, and we were rather pleased with what we found," he smiled mysteriously, and Elsa wondered what secrets were inside the envelope.

"Which prince?" Elsa asked, having recalled there to be several princes in the Southern Isles.

"I don't see anything on the outside of the envelope, it must be on the inside. They have 13 sons, I don't remember which one send this letter," he replied, setting the envelope down on her desk. Elsa made no move to take it. "Seeing as it's from royalty, you are to write a reply to the letter, although you have no time constraints regarding when you do so," he lingered awkwardly, waiting for Elsa to open it, who only nodded. Wearily accepting defeat when she still didn't touch it, he bid her goodbye and shut the door.

Now safely alone, Elsa ran her gloved hand over the envelope and gently opened it with a letter cutter. She read the letter quickly, her eyes widening in surprise. A confidant! A person whom she could share the joys and pains of her powers with. Of course, most of his strategies for controlling his powers would need to modified for her own powers, but for the first time in forever, Elsa felt hopeful.

She selected a quill from the delicate glass vase and started to write:

_Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, _

_I can "control" wind, snow, and ice, and I can make anything out of ice. I can't truly control it, all it takes is one second of lost concentration for me to freeze over a wall, and as you can imagine, an ice cube in my hands will never melt. I always wear gloves so I don't ice over everything I touch.  
I'm 16 years old, and I have one younger sister, Anna. I love Anna, but when we were little I struck her in the head with my powers. She has a white streak in her hair now, and if I struck her heart it would've killed her for sure. Her head healed, but she can't remember I ever had powers. I don't talk to Anna anymore because she wouldn't understand, and I could hurt her with my powers again. I don't have any friends, the only people I ever interact with are my parents and occasionally the staff.  
_

_Do you have your own horse, and do you have friends? Why do your brothers upset you? I'd give anything to be able to talk to Anna... _

_Sincerely, _

_Princess Elsa _

Elsa wondered how Hans could take his brothers for granted, when she couldn't even speak with her sister. Anna would certainly love a brother. Her parents were afraid that a third child would inherit her own dangerous powers, which is why they didn't have a third child. Yet another thing she ruined for Anna. She frowned and tried to direct her mind elsewhere. She tried to think happy thoughts, like Hans had suggested. Elsa read her letter again, and it seemed...incomplete.

Elsa grabbed a second piece of paper and cut it into a snowflake. It was a childish activity, but she was so bored sitting alone in her room that she had mastered the art of paper snowflake making, if such a thing existed. She removed her glove and iced over the snowflake, then repeated the process a few more times. She stashed the snowflakes underneath some unimportant papers. In the morning, whichever ones hadn't melted must be made of the magical ice that could be dissolved, but not melted. If she could learn to control which type of ice she made, that would sure make her life easier.

* * *

The next day, Elsa checked the snowflakes and found that two hadn't succumbed to the heat. She peeled one off of the paper and placed it inside the envelope with her letter, and tried to thaw the other. She thought of Anna, the person that meant more than anything to her. She envisioned Anna's bright smile, and disintegrated the snowflake. A second vision, this one of Anna lying motionless in the snow, besieged her.

She mentally scolded herself, and instead thought of Hans. She pictured a boy with short, neatly cropped hair, melting the snow ahead of him as he galloped on a slender, grey horse. Of course, she had no idea what he or his horse looked like, but it was fun to imagine. In her head, she happily entertained thoughts of Hans melting the ice that followed her everywhere, even the strongest ice was no match for Hans.

* * *

Prince Hans had impatiently awaited Elsa's reply for what felt like forever, and when his father handed him an envelope he was ecstatic. She had written "Hans" in neat, perfect cursive, which reminded him that he was not a simple stable boy, but a prince. He took the letter back to his study and blushed as he read it.

Elsa was 16 years old! 16 seemed like an alternate universe to Hans, who had only recently become a teenager. And the bit about Elsa's sister- his comment about his brothers must have seemed insensitive. Inside the envelope, he saw a snowflake. A large snowflake, carved delicately out of ice. He cooled his hands as much as he could, before delicately pulling the snowflake all the way out of the envelope. The snowflake lost a bit of it's shape, but was otherwise intact.

Hans was wide eyed at this, how was it possible that it hadn't melted? He concluded that her magic was much stronger than he'd thought. He realized that there was no way for him to send her a comparable gift, because he couldn't create things, he could only alter them.

After thinking for a moment, he held his hand over it and gently thawed parts of the snowflake, until the spaces in the snowflake read "Elsa". Satisfied, he slipped it into the envelope and wrote his reply:

_Princess Elsa, _

_I do have my own horse, his name is Sitron. I've known him since he was born, and he's probably my best friend. I'm pretty close to the other stable boys, but they're more like real brothers than friends to me. My other royal brothers either ignore me or taunt me or tease me, so I can't say that I'm close to any of them. I'm the youngest of 13, so I'm always the punchline to every joke. They shut me out, but I'm pretty sure they have no excuse, because they all have friends amongst each other and they certainly don't mind berating me. It doesn't help that our mom died while in labor with me, and they all blame me. _  
_I'm sorry to hear about your relationship with your sister, and I wish I could be of more help when it comes to controlling your powers. Imagining an ice cube melting probably won't do much good for you. Despite the fact I can't be much help, I'm not permitted to share my powers with anybody else, and getting your letter was the highlight of my day. I hope to keep in touch with you. What are your parents like? _

_Sincerely, _

_Prince Hans_

* * *

When Elsa received word back from Hans, she noticed that the envelope was unusually heavy, and took extra care in opening it. She found her snowflake inside, and frowned, wondering why Hans would send it back to her. She noticed large gaps in the snowflake, and stared at the symbols, confused. She turned it around and realized it read "Elsa", giggling at how silly she'd been not to realize it sooner. So his powers were strong enough to thaw her ice.

As she read his letter, she frowned as she began to understand the family dynamics of his kingdom.

_Prince Hans, _

_I don't mean to be rude, but why do you spend so much time with the stable boys? I'm sorry to hear about your brothers and your mother. What about your father? My father is strong and wise King, and I love him for that. My mother is sweet and compassionate, but ever since the accident with Anna she's sort of been in a trance and doesn't talk much. She blames herself because I inherited my powers from her family, except unlike my ancestors, I took away her power when I was born. How did you get your powers? _

_~Princess Elsa_

* * *

**[A/N: From here on out, I'll just post the letters instead of writing about them opening letters and taking out pens]**

_Princess Elsa,_

_Each of the princes is assigned a task. The older brothers are kings and military commanders, and the younger ones learn fencing and archery and similar skills. Being the youngest brother, I was assigned stable work. I've come to love the horses, though, so I don't mind.  
My father isn't outright cruel by any means, but he's not affectionate in the least, and I doubt he truly loves me. I guess there's not enough love to go around to 13 boys.  
I actually don't know how I got my powers, it's a mystery to me. As the future Queen, do you ever visit the surrounding kingdoms?_

~Prince Hans

* * *

_Prince Hans, _

_You remind me of Anna so much...you've been isolated but you still see the bright side of things. Does it ever get you down?  
It's a shame your father doesn't appreciate a sweet boy like you.  
I don't ever go and visit the other kingdoms, I don't have enough control over my powers. I don't like it, but what am I to do?  
How does your father view your powers?_

_~Elsa_

* * *

_Princess Elsa,_

_From the princess who gave up her entire life to ensure her sister's safety, being compared favorably to her sister is quite an honor. Sometimes I'll beg my siblings to just go on a ride with me outside the barn, but they never do and I usually just hang out with the stable boys.  
My father view my powers as an __imperfection, just one of many. No matter how perfect I try to be, I don't think he'll ever love me like he loves my oldest brothers.  
Have your parents ever thought about adopting a child? The child wouldn't have any chance of inheriting your powers, and Anna would have company...and who knows, if you could let your guard down around the child...maybe it would help? I hope I'm not too intrusive..._

_~Hans_

* * *

_Hans,_

_Anna's life is worth so much more than my life could ever be worth. She's such a beautiful girl, and everybody adores her. She's the warmest person, meanwhile I'm the most icy person you could meet.  
I don't know if my parents have ever though about adopting a child. Anna is 13 now, so she's hardly the little kid she used to be. Do you know a child?_

_~Elsa_

* * *

_Elsa,_

_Most of the stable boys are orphans, and all of them are great kids. One of them, Jack, is 12 years old, and he's been working at the stable since he was 8. He loves to play in the snow...Anna would love him.  
I used to think that I was worthless, but I came to realize that I shouldn't determine my worth by what others think. You value your life too little. I bet Anna thinks you're amazing...and I know I do_

_~Hans_

**Hans is now 14, and approaching 15.**

Hans was in love. He was only 14 (14 and a half, if you wanted to be specific), so how could he fall so head-over-heels in love with a girl he had never even met, a girl who was too afraid to ever leave her room. And yet, somehow he found himself feeling just like everybody in the books felt when they were in love. His stomach fluttered, his head felt light, and when he galloped Sitron over the mountains he felt absolutely weightless. Elsa was probably 17 by now, she was far older than him.

He was dying to meet her, but there was nothing he could do to make it happen...


	6. Hans Goes Bad

**Ok, so in this chapter we see some Helsa. I tried to make it believable though, and the Hans in my fanfic is *not* the same Hans we see in the movie, until the end. This chapter also explains how Hans became the person we see in the movie, and briefly mentions the death of Elsa's parents.**

* * *

The two continued exchanging letters and stories, and their friendship grew, as did the length of their letters. Their formal acquaintance had blossomed into a beautiful bond, but it felt so...unreal. Elsa wasn't completely infatuated with Hans like he was with her, but she still felt herself slowly beginning to love him. Still, she was convinced that as soon as he saw what she could do, saw the damage she could unknowingly release, he'd feel differently. Sure, he could probably thaw her ice, but he wouldn't recover from a blow to the head or heart so easily. He was like Anna, except he wouldn't come knocking on her door, so she could pretend that she wasn't holding his heart on a string. She could keep pretending that she wasn't toying with his emotions and tearing at his heart.

Just after Elsa turned 18, she learned that her parents were heading to Corona for the wedding of Elsa's cousin Rapunzel. "My cousin? I didn't know I had a cousin," Elsa asked, puzzled.

"Your father's sister's daughter. She was kidnapped as a baby...she just came home," replied the Queen, looking at Elsa and wistfully dreaming of when her child would mentally come home.

"Do you have to go?" she asked, fearing that she would have nobody to turn to while they were away.

"You'll be fine, Elsa," her dad replied, locking his large brown eyes on her pale blue ones. Elsa gulped, and tried her hardest to be strong. It was only for two weeks, a 4 day journey each way.

Three weeks later, he parents hadn't returned yet. It wasn't confirmed that they were dead, but the odds were against them. Fighting back tears, she grabbed her quill and began to write, icy tears escaping her eyes and landing on the parchment. Her handwriting was so sloppy she wasn't certain he would even be able to read it, but she wrote it anyway, letting her emotions fly out through her pen.

_Hans,_

_My parents are probably dead. They were supposed to return last week, and they never arrived at the wedding they were supposed to attend. I'm a loose cannon with all this despair swirling inside of me, and I know that if I embrace Anna, I'll lose it and hurt her more, if that's even possible. I can't take this. You're the only person who might stand a chance to help me, because you're the only person who can melt my ice. You and Anna are the only living people who might love me. If it's alright with you...if you want to...I want to meet you in real life. I want you to come to Arendelle. Even if you're only 16, you're so mature...Can you tell your father it's a learning experience, that the Ice Queen herself wants to speak with you? Please, Hans. I'm begging you..._

_Elsa_

She sealed it into an envelope, which immediately began to frost over, and feebly attempting to keep her composure, choked out an order to have it delivered as soon as possible, and Kai promised he would.

* * *

**Hans is now 16, he's a little older than Anna, who is presently 15. (Which makes him 19 at the time of the coronation, FYI) **

Hans had come to accept that he would never get the affection he craved from any of his family, and the only person he stood a chance with was Elsa. Still, it was unsettling when his brothers showed such malice toward him.

Harry, the 10th oldest, and Harley, the 11th oldest, were standing outside his room when he returned from the barn.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Hans challenged.

"Oh, nothing. We were just asked to deliver a letter from Hans's secret admirer! Too bad she doesn't know what a loser he is!" Harry sneered, holding the letter above his head.

"Give me the letter," Hans replied calmly, but inwardly he was extremely excited to hear from Elsa again. Harry was much taller than Hans, far too tall for Hans to try to grab the letter.

"Why should we?"

"I'll tell Father, that letter is important!"

"Wait, Harry, should we really jeopardize his chances with the only girl he ever will have a shot at?" smirked Harley, his voice oozing malice.

"Oh yeah, so helpless little Hans will get his precious little princess," Harry taunted. Their father kept the letters private enough that nobody but Elsa read them, however he didn't stop the boys from discovering who he was writing to.

"Princess Elsa is-"

"An antisocial princess?" quipped Harley.

"No!" Hans practically yelled, "She's-"

"A cruel and ruthless woman who will never love anybody," finished Harry.

"Elsa is beautiful!"

"Have you ever seen your beautiful princess?" Harley asked, making sure to emphasize the sarcasm on "beautiful".

"No, but what I have seen..." Hans thought of the snowflake; Elsa had sent him another one that he kept in his dresser.

"Is nothing!" Harry berated.

"No, I saw what she can create!" Hans cried.

"Oh?" Harry asked, arching an eyebrow. "Then perhaps we should just peek inside," Harry said, and began to peel off the wax seal.

"Don't do that; you'll regret it," Hans warned, his voice calm but his eyes full of rage.

"Or else what?" Harley asked, his voice a bit shakier. They ignored Hans so much and he used his powers so seldom, they might have forgotten he had any power, or they might have thought him too weak to use them. Harry didn't stop, and handing the envelope to Harley, held the letter to his face.

"Stop!" Hans screamed, and the next thing they knew, Harry and Harley found fire on their sleeves, burning their arms. Hans sent a circle of fire all around them, and who knows how far he would have gone...but then he remembered the letter. Not wanting the letter to burn, he extinguished the fire in a second. Hans picked it up off the floor and found it was badly singed. He walked into his room and slammed the door, ignoring Harry's threats and Harley's screams. He unfolded it gently, and looked at what remained.

_H,_

_My parents dead, supposed return, and they never arrived at the. I'm all this despair swirling inside of me, and embrace Anna. I can't take this. You're n o help, because you're ice. You and Anna are the only living people who might love me. you...I want to...in real life. Arendelle. you're only 16, mature...Can you tell your father the Ice Queen her speak ? Please, Hans. I'm begging you..._

_Elsa_

Hans wasn't sure what to make of the letter. It was clear that something was wrong, but the letter was so unclear, he wasn't sure what to say. He started to write a new letter:

_Elsa,_

_My brothers burned your last letter, I'm so sorry. It's too burned for me to read. Could you please send me another letter?_

_~Hans_

Hans put the letter in an envelope, addressed it to Elsa, and left his room to get the letter to somebody who would take it to Arendelle. When he exited the room, he found his dad approaching his room. "Hans, Harley has first-degree burns all over his arms and Harry has second-degree burns. They say you're responsible for this," he announced grimly.

"Yes, but they-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses. Your actions were inexcusable. You will be punished when I decide on an appropriate punishment," he declared, and Hans felt like a criminal being condemned to prison for an immeasurable amount of time. His father had never truly loved Hans, but Hans could tell that his father now hated him.

"What about my letters to Elsa?"

"We'll discuss this at dinner," his father said, smiling smugly at some secret Hans could only hope to learn. Hans sighed and went back into his room, glancing at the clock. An hour until dinner. An hour until he would learn what punishment he would receive. He wasn't sure if he would be able to talk to Elsa again soon, so he wrote her a love letter, which he hoped he might someday get to deliver. **[A/N: Oh, did you think I'd just let Hans romantically confess his love right here? Don't worry, eventually I'll post the letter, but I need to keep you in suspense for a bit]**

When the clock struck six, Hans found himself seated across from his father. His brothers were nowhere to be found, presumably they had already eaten. He was thirsty and gulped down his drink, waiting for his father to speak. When Hans finished his drink, his father finally spoke. "That's half of your punishment right there," his father told him. Before Hans could question him, his father finished, "The second half is that your duties will change. Instead of playing with the horses, you will participate in formalized training like your older brothers."

Hans knew that this was no promotion, formal training would be useless for a boy who had no chance of inheriting any throne. "What do you mean that was the first half of my punishment?" Hans asked, wondering if he was going to undergo some type of transformation.

"The potion you drank will weaken your powers over the next 24 hours until they are completely gone. There are some side effects, such as memory loss, personality changes, sensitivity to cold, to name a few," he continued, "But it will put out the fire that burns you from the inside," his father added ominously.

"And if I experience the side effects?"

His father was quiet, then spoke softly, "You take my wife and burn my sons, and now you ask for compassion?" His voice hardened and he cleared his throat like he would before announcing a new law, "If you want compassion, ask someone who loves you," he said, pausing for a moment, mentally checking that he covered all important points. "Oh yes, and because you no longer have your powers, I don't think it's necessary for you to communicate with that Arendelle princess anymore, because you're no help to her now,"

"No!" Hans exclaimed, his voice uncharacteristically shrill. "She needs me now more than ever. I still know how to control the elements, even if I lack the ability to do so. Her last letter...something's wrong, all wrong, she's in trouble! Do you want to lose your 'investment' now? The words 'loose cannon' were in her letter, how long do you think it will be until she snaps?" Hans was shaking with rage as he ended his tirade.

"Calm down. We will discuss this calmly and rationally later, but right now _you_ are the biggest threat to the Southern Isles," his father replied evenly, then strode away.

Hans ran to his room. He had less than 24 hours before he lost his powers. He didn't want his father to find any of the letters, so he neatly folded up each letter he had ever received from Elsa and hid them in the last place anybody would ever think to look- a secret drawer in the tack room. The other stable boys knew about it, but were unaware that it opened when kicked hard enough. None of them would dare try to open it, knowing that damaging palace property would get them punished or fired.

Running back to his room, he threw open the drawer and looked at his snowflake from Elsa. He melted small amounts of it, leaving shallow crevices behind. He could feel his powers waning and finished as quickly as possible, before his powers disappeared completely. After he finished engraving the snowflake, he tucked it underneath some fresh-smelling formal clothing. He scarcely wore his formal clothing, and so it was unlikely the servants would touch it.

Hans suddenly felt a wave of vertigo and nausea overcoming him with such force he had no time to fight back, and he vaguely recalled his father mentioning side effects. That was the last thing he remembered as he passed out on his floor.

* * *

When Hans woke up, he was confused. He was starving, thirsty, and very confused. He looked outside and gauged the time based on the sun. It was about 1 in the afternoon, and he could faintly hear his brothers returning from church (their footsteps reflected the stiffness of their church clothing). So it must be Sunday, which meant he hadn't missed any work in the stable. He stepped outside and saw a tray of food outside his door, which looked to be a few hours past fresh, but he devoured it regardless.

His basic needs now addressed, he wondered how long he had been out. He went over to his calendar and saw that the last day marked was Friday. He marked the dates at night, so he must have passed out sometime before Saturday night. He wracked his brain for what had happened but couldn't remember very much of anything. He changed his clothes and ran a comb through his short, red hair, then cautiously ventured outside. He saw his father, and held up a hand to stop him.

"What do you want?" his father asked, cautiously taking a few steps backward.

"What happened yesterday?"

"You don't-" his father started, then remembered that memory loss was listed in the book of potions as a potential side effect, "You have no idea what happened yesterday?"

"Not a clue," Hans replied, thoroughly perplexed.

"You must have been exhausted from stable work and passed out," his father said, a plan forming in his mind. "Which is why I'm changing your work assignment. Walk with me, you can help me with an errand while I explain."

Hans followed obediently, and waited outside the kitchen, just as his father had ordered. When his father emerged, he was carrying a large block of ice. "Hans, carry this for me," he commanded.

Still obedient, Hans took the block of ice. The ice didn't melt at all, and Hans let out a yelp when the cold ice touched his bare hands. Hans had good control over his powers, but his hands were always too hot for him to carry ice and he was immune to cold. His father smiled, satisfied that Hans was genuine.

His father directed him to put the ice block outside, making up an excuse about having too much ice. "If only we could get that princess from Arendelle to come over here, if she decides she wants to quit being a heartless fool," his father remarked casually, knowing that the old Hans would be enraged.

Instead, Hans timidly asked why the princess of Arendelle would have any impact on ice, much to his father's pleasure.

"Oh, the future Queen of Arendelle is cold as ice, as they say. She doesn't talk to anybody and the rulers won't let any visitors into the kingdom. Of course, fire powers would be nice too," his father noted, his sharp eyes never leaving Hans's face.

"Fire powers?" Hans laughed, "Ice and fire, what a duo! Father, there's magic in our forests but I don't know of any magic that can give fire powers to a human," Hans chucked, amused at the ludicrous idea of magical powers.

"I've decided that from here on out, you will train to be a naval officer. You can visit the stable in your free time, but I think it's time you trained to be a real asset to the castle," his father announced, confident that this new-and-improved version of Hans could be useful. Hans nodded, and his father made the arrangements for Hans to train.

* * *

As the years went by, Hans became adept at fencing, negotiating foreign treaties, evaluating horses for their use in the military, and polished up his horseback riding skills to match the formal style that was befitting of a prince and naval officer. Just after Hans turned 19, his father informed him that he would be making a trip to the kingdom of Arendelle to attend the coronation of their Queen, as somebody from the Southern Isles had to attend out of courtesy and his other brothers were occupied or married away.

Hans was certain he had to make a good impression on the monarchy in Arendelle, so he made sure to pack his nicest clothing. He was surprised to find a snowflake with strange engravings underneath it all, and it was cold enough to be real but didn't melt, strangely. Hans was puzzled by this, and he carried it onto the boat with him.

As he sat in his cabin, he examine the snowflake. There was a heart engraved on the smooth surface, with "E+H" carved inside the heart. He didn't have a clue what it meant, and spent much of the trip examining it from every angle, attempting to crack the mystery behind it.

When he arrived in Arendelle, he surveyed the land. It was a beautiful kingdom, and he saw tons of opportunities for the Southern Isles to profit. He knew that he had to do whatever possible to stay on good terms with the royal family...at all costs.


	7. The Movie

**A/N: This chapter starts just after the death of their parents, then basically reiterates what happened in the movie. The only difference is that this shows what Hans was thinking and details Elsa's reaction to Hans. Remember, Hans has completely forgotten Elsa, but Elsa recognizes Hans. This is a really short chapter, but I've got quite a bit of my next chapter done so stay tuned! Also, please review! Thanks!**

**This chapter was also edited by the gifted writer, JustAnotherGirlInTheWorld! She has an amazing Frozen fanfic (and some amazing non-frozen fanfics) so go check her writing out!**

* * *

**POV: Elsa (age 18)**

**Time: A few weeks after last Elsa part**

Weeks had passed, and Elsa had heard no news about her parents. Nor, much to her dismay, had Hans ever replied to her. Elsa had never felt more isolated before, knowing that the only person who still might love her was Anna, and even _Anna_ must have been tired of being shut out, by now. But Elsa knew how horribly selfish it would be to allow Anna to get close, only for her to somehow be impaled with an icicle later on, and so she remained locked up in her room, trying to keep the world safe...but even _she _knew that she couldn't hide forever.

In Arendelle, nobody under 21 could inherit the throne, which meant that the primi ministers and other government officials would take over for now. Elsa knew that the day she turned 21 would be the day that she not only left her room, but the day that she would, finally, become queen. The clock was ticking, and Elsa decided to forget about gaining control... for there was no controlling with powers as strong as her own, anyway. There was only concealing. Elsa stocked up on gloves, and put an end to any use of her powers. She had to be a good girl; that's what her parents would have wanted. She knew she had to fully grow up now, and never look back. That was her only option.

* * *

**POV: Elsa**

**Time: The day of the coronation**

Elsa felt immeasurable relief knowing that the coronation had gone well, and it was quite nice to talk with Anna for once, but Elsa's good mood came to an icy, crashing halt when she was forced to shut Anna out again. She couldn't simply get rid of the lingering feeling of failure, but of course foreign dignitaries wanted to talk to her, and not freezing them was keeping her mind quite occupied.

When Anna returned, Elsa found herself trying to muster the courage to take Anna aside and just... explain everything. She was so completely lost in her thoughts of how she would say it, of how she would make it up to Anna after the years of pain she had caused her, that she barely registered that Anna had introduced the prince as Hans of the Southern Isles. It seemed vaguely familiar, of course, but she couldn't quite place the name that would have otherwise shocked her. It was when they asked for her blessing in marriage that things began to click.

Hans. Hans! Suddenly, she realized exactly who this Hans had to be. When Anna looked at him, he met her gaze with a smile, but he glanced, practically stared, at Elsa whenever Anna wasn't looking. Elsa was beginning to panic, her heart thumping methodically in her chest. She knew, despite the part of herself that still cared for him, that Hans was heartless and had left her when she needed him most... there was absolutely no way he could marry Anna! Especially not after knowing each other for such a short time! And not to mention the fact that she couldn't avoid his whole family living in her castle!

Taking a deep breathe, Elsa decided to ignore Hans for now and instead focus her energy on Anna, but unfortunately for her, Anna could not be stopped. Elsa left the girl heartbroken in the middle of the ballroom, and she nearly lost it herself when Hans spoke directly to her. Then, on the verge of breaking, Anna grabbed her glove, and finally Elsa couldn't take it anymore.

"I said, ENOUGH!" she yelled, washing her hand across the room and sending a circle of icicles around her. They shot all over, nearly stabbing the guests, who screamed and cried in shock and horror. In her panic, Elsa fled the ballroom, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

It was over. What had she done?

* * *

**POV: Hans (age 19)**

**Time: Coronation day**

It had been a normal day... up until a certain point, that was. Hans had been loading Sitron off the boat, and was walking him around to stretch his legs, when all of the sudden a girl in a green dress ran right into their path. Sitron tried to stop, of course, but he still hit the girl with his chest, and soon she was sent out sprawling into a boat, nearly falling into the water. Sitron, as smart as he was, set a foot on the boat to steady it before it fell off the dock.

Hans apologized profusely, and as he helped her up, he was struck by her beauty. Her glowing red hair was tied up neatly at the back of her head, and her dress was a soft, natural green that reminded Hans of riding widely through the forest. Sitron certainly wasn't helping with his infatuation, as he caused them to fall on top of each other. Hans was instantly struck by her friendly, albeit awkward, demeanor, and her warm smile sent a feeling of affection running through him. There was definitely some chemistry, and Hans was happy to see that she liked Sitron. Although, all that fell down when she mentioned her older sister, Elsa. He realized that Elsa must be the heir to the throne, and was shocked to learn that Anna was Princess of Arendelle.

During the party, the mood was practically electric as Hans swept Anna off her feet... literally. A plan suddenly bloomed into mind as he was dancing: Anna could help him to get in the inside circle! If he made the entire evening romantic enough, then proposed... it would all go his way! A conventional girl wouldn't approve, of course, but Anna, as naive as she was, was anything but conventional. This could be his escape from the Southern Isles, his escape from the pain of the past! Who knew when his father would let him leave home again? Hans had made up his mind, he was here to stay.

The Queen refused to give her blessing, of course, for she was too logical to allow her sister to get married to a stranger. After arguing with Anna for a while, a furious and emotional Elsa was tricked into revealing what can only be described as witchcraft. Ice shot out of her hands and trailed behind her feet and practically followed her wherever she went. She cursed the land with snow as she ran across the frozen fjord. Anna would not be talked out of going to find her, and Hans secretly relished the idea of being in charge of Arendelle. Hans was well qualified to run a kingdom, and he wanted to prove that he could do it. What could go wrong?

When Anna's horse returned without Anna, Hans knew that he had to at least attempt to find Anna. He brought a group of men with him, and it wasn't long before they found a breathtaking ice castle, unmistakably the Queen's. After escaping an attack from a snow monster, they all scurried into the ice castle as fast as their legs could carry them. Weselton's men were already inside, and Elsa was about to kill them both! Hans, suspecting that the timid Queen at the coronation wouldn't dare kill them, tested his theory by yelling to her, "Queen Elsa! Don't be the monster they fear you are!" As Hans had predicted, she stopped immediately, unable to bring herself to such a dark level. This backfired on her, however, for as she stood transfixed at what she had been about to do, one of the men attempted to shoot her. Luckily, Hans quickly redirected it to the chandelier. He couldn't let Elsa die before he knew if she could thaw the winter alive...and he would lose Anna's trust!

Lucky for him, the Queen slipped on the ice and fell, knocking herself unconscious. Hans gently carried her back to Arendelle on Sitron, who had returned to bring him back. He ordered the guards to lock her up in a jail cell with little regret, and about 15 minutes later Hans went to pay her a visit. The Queen was awake now, and very visibly upset. She asked him over and over again to bring Anna back and to let her go, claiming that she couldn't stop the winter. That she didn't even know _how_. Hans lied to her and said he would do what he could, be in reality, he had decided he knew all he needed to know. The Queen couldn't thaw the winter, so he would just have to kill her.

Hans met up with the dignitaries and said he was going out to find Anna, but sparing him the trouble, some helpful servants emerged carrying Anna, whose hair had inexplicably begun to turn white. She, shivering like a maniac just barely breathing, begged him to kiss her, but he asked her to slow down. He lay her down so she'd be comfortable while she explained that Elsa had struck her heart and the kiss would heal her, then leaned in for the kiss. He was about to do it, when suddenly, he realized that it might not even be considered attempted murder, and thus might not be sufficient to earn Elsa a death penalty...but surely murdering her own sister would suffice! Smiling wickedly, Hans chose Arendelle over Anna, and backed away.

"Oh Anna, if only there was someone out there who loved you..."

Hans explained his plan with a devilish glint in his eye, taking every precaution to make Anna die as quickly as possible, such as putting out the fire and opening the window to let in the winter storm. It wasn't as if there was anybody who loved her anyhow, so he assured himself he was doing her a favor to make it fast. Somebody, at the very least, ought to know about his brilliant plan...

Hans took a moment to paste an appropriately shocked expression on his face, then slowly dragged himself sullenly out of the room, announcing to the dignitaries that Elsa had killed Anna after they said their marriage vows. Making himself seem heartbroken, Hans officially sentenced Elsa to death, and accompanied the guards to do the deed. Elsa, however, had escaped, and Hans ran off to find her.

Elsa had caused the snow to become a blinding, swirling, murderous blizzard... but still he managed to find her, the cold stinging his very soul. Hans, smiling obscenely to himself, then pulled out his blade prepared for the kill. He grabbed his sword, raised it far above his head, and swung his arm down in a whooshing arch. He saw a flash of white run in front of Elsa, however, and the short shattered on the impact, throwing hands a yard back and knocking him out. When he came to just a few minutes later, much to his own confusion, he was on a boat and summer had returned to Arendelle. He saw an un-frozen Anna standing beside him, and the next thing he knew she had punched him straight in the face, broken his nose, and he'd fallen off the boat!

Much to his own dismay, Hans was sent back to the Southern Isles, and everybody in Arendelle was happy... For now...

* * *

Elsa had known Hans to be bad news, but she was rightfully shocked when she learned he'd tried to kill Anna and revealed he'd never truly loved her. The man who Anna had being hanging around with, who she learned was named Kristoff, looked like he was ready to beat Hans up; Elsa found herself barely restraining herself from literally freezing his heart. However, both of them were satisfied to see that Anna punched Hans in the face, and he was unceremoniously sent back to the Southern Isles.

**And the next chapters will be how I imagine the sequel to go! Don't worry, we'll get back to all that backstory stuff with Hans...Hans is going to remain important, and I'll bring Kristoff into the story.**


	8. Swapping Secrets

**So I've been working out countless kinks with my sequel (I really want the plot to make sense but still be complex) and I've been feeling bad that I haven't updated this...So here's a quick little transition chapter, where Elsa explains her past, including Hans, to Anna. This takes place 51 weeks after the Great Thaw, which means one week before the anniversary of the Great Thaw. Please review and ****follow! **

**This was edited by the amazing JustAnotherGirlInTheWorld! **

_Knock knock, knock-knock knock_

Anna's familiar knock echoed through the hall... but this time, Anna wasn't the one knocking. Grumbling about how she really needed to trademark her knock—Elsa claimed that she had more important laws to enforce—Anna stumbled to the door. Her unhappiness about being interrupted dissipated almost immediately, however, when she saw the familiar face outside her doorway: Elsa.

"Oh, uh, hi Elsa!" Anna exclaimed as she shuffled the papers on her desk behind her. Clearly, Anna had hoped to be inconspicuous, but she was failing miserably. In fact, Elsa reflected, it was unusual in itself that Anna was using paper to make something that wouldn't turn into a projectile.

Raising an eyebrow suspiciously, Elsa asked, "Anna, what on earth are you hiding?"

"N-nothing!" Anna exclaimed, stuttering slightly in her nervousness. Then, becoming suspicious herself, she asks, "And you? You came to talk to me... why?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I haven't had much luck with trademarking your knock. Anyway, I think now would be a good time for a session of secret exchanging," Elsa replied calmly, sitting down on Anna's bed. The girls had adopted a policy of revealing secrets of their past together, which had helped to bridge the thirteen year gap between them. Both sisters found it to be therapeutic, but this time Anna was reluctant.

"Fine, but you have to go first!" Anna declared.

"It's too hard for me to choose a memory," Elsa replied evenly, "But I'm sure whatever is on those papers will remind me of something."

Defeated, Anna sighed and sat down at her desk, looking a bit pink on her cheeks. She retrieved the papers and handed them to Elsa.

"I was trying to write a love letter to Kristoff, but I can't find the right words."

Squinting to read Anna's messy handwriting, Elsa saw that Anna was telling the truth.

"Writing has never been your thing, so why don't you just tell him how you feel? Or sing for him, if you want it to be extra special," she mused.

"I can't find the right words when I talk, either... and I'd have to sing words, too! I can't escape these stupid words! At least with a letter I can take my time finding the right ones."

"You could have asked—" Elsa began, but then stopped. Elsa could see Anna's unspoken accusation. _You've only written letters to other fancy government officials. How would you know how to write a romantic letter to a common person?_

The papers began to frost as Elsa recalled a time when she'd come awfully close to learning about romance. A flurry of emotions began to fill her head, but Elsa put them on hold. Removing herself from the trance, Elsa defrosted the papers and spoke.

"I think it's my turn to share a secret now..." she began hesitantly, "Anna, there's something I never told you... something that will probably make you mad, and you're going to have to try not to lose it, OK?"

Anna was familiar with Elsa's sudden flashbacks, but she hadn't expected a love letter to trigger one. "I can handle it," she replied confidently. How could something related to a love letter make Anna angry? It was more likely going to make her excited, than anything. She loved romance!

"When I was a teenager—about 15, if I'm not mistaken—I received a letter in the mail," Elsa explained, "It was from a boy in another kingdom, a boy with fire powers."

Anna, as usual, began to pelt her with questions. "Wait, what? There was another person like you... with fire powers? Where are they now? Now that the gates are open, maybe they could visit!"

"I don't think you'll want him to visit by the time I'm finished, Anna. This boy happens to be royalty, so he had plenty on his plate. Despite being only 13, he had perfect control over his powers. I mailed him a snowflake of ice, and he sent it back with my name engraved in it. No ordinary fire could melt my ice, but he had a fire inside that could melt anything. It didn't take long to realize that he couldn't do much to help me control my powers, but we kept in touch anyway. This boy, though royalty, worked alongside the stable boys. We both felt isolated in our own ways, and we started to become friends. I told him about my _wonderful_ sister, and he told me about his horse."

Elsa paused to allow Anna a moment for this information to sink in.

"So your only friend during those years was this boy, Anna inquired curiously, "Why wouldn't you want to see him again?"

"Actually, I did see him again, and I'll get to that part soon. After our parents died, I reached out to him. I asked him to come to Arendelle to help me. Because of his powers, I couldn't hurt him. I thought he could help me through my grief without being in danger... but he never replied to my letter, and he didn't arrive. At least not that year."

"He just left you hanging when you needed him most? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, Anna. I truly don't."

"But even though he's clearly a giant _jerk_, wouldn't there be benefits to seeking him out? Now that you're capable of doing so, I mean?"

"I didn't seek him out, but I did end up seeing him in person. He was at the coronation, and you met him."

"I met him? Was he the fat guy who slammed me with his—"

"No, not him. This boy worked in the stables because all of the jobs befitting royalty were being taken care of by his older brothers."

Suddenly, a look of realization bounded across Anna's face. Her eyes widened and she looked absolutely horror-struck.

"Oh no, Elsa, it can't be!"

"Yes, Anna. The boy was Hans."

Despite already knowing this, the girl shouted out in surprise and anger.

"I tried to marry that loser?!"

"Anna, I did try to stop you..."

"I know, and you were right!" Anna said, behaving in an uncharacteristically calm and rational fashion, "But something is wrong with this."

"What do you mean? He's heartless! He'd been faking everything since age 13, for crying out loud!"

"His ultimate plan was to kill you, stop the winter, and become King, right?"

"Well, yes..."

"So why wouldn't he just thaw the winter with his powers?"

"He wanted an excuse to kill me, of course."

"He claimed that you murdered me and trapped Arendelle in an eternal winter. I think he had enough excuses to kill you already."

"Maybe he just wanted to be certain that nobody would question it when he killed me."

"But I doubt he could have kept his fire powers a secret forever, and a smart guy like him would recognize that. So if he *didn't* thaw the winter, this would make the villagers angry that he could have done it all along."

"Now that you mention it, he could have saved a lot of trouble by simply melting Marshmallow... after all, Marshmallow nearly killed him."

"So, Hans would have to be stupid not to use his fire powers! And he clearly isn't stupid, so he _didn't_ have fire powers," Anna explained.

"Where has all of this thinking been for the last 18 years?" Elsa laughed, very impressed.

"When I wasn't bothering you, I was hassling the staff. The better I knew the staff, the more I could get away with," she smiled mischievously, a glint in her eye, "Anyway, don't change the subject. The part I can't seem to get is your snowflake. If he didn't have fire powers, how did he melt your snowflake? During those first couple weeks, there was ice all over the palace, intentional or not. And I know for a fact that it's unbreakable and only magic can melt it."

"Maybe he found a way. My powers weren't quite as strong, and I didn't have as much control."

Anna nodded, but she was still quite deep in thought. She told Elsa that he must have cut it, but Anna wasn't truly convinced. She'd have to do some sleuthing...


End file.
